Kenya

Lonely Planet picks:

Taita Discovery Centre:   Near Tsavo West National Park; has structured and tailored courses; also takes conservation-focused gap year volunteers http://www.aboriginal-ecotourism.org/spip.php?article291.  Link with other parks / parts of the country through this (unvetted) tour company

Kenya Voluntary & Community Development Project: medium to long term gap year, and 3-4 week voluntours that take (accompanied) children.  Frommers rec as well.

 Inter-Community Development Involvement affiliated with University of Indiana; takes medium term gap year in AIDs and education work; registered US 501(c)3.  Frommers rec as well.

Responsible Travel: starting point for finding tour operators; see family tailored safari & cultural tour

Eco-Resorts - Cultural tours, including homestays, and short trem family volunteering in Mura Masai region.  Frommers rec as well.

IntoAfrica - "Fair-trade" and locally-based cultural trips; customized departures for groups as small as 5

Origins Safaris - Cultural tours.  The 7-day conservation and 14-day education projects both look fabulous, though breathtakingly expensive.



Through Pack for a Purpose:


Deloraine Lodge: Great Rift Valley - affiliated elementary school.  Lodge also organizes horseback safaris, though I don't think our riding abilities would be sufficient

Kicheche Bush Camps - Affiliated with London-based non-profit as well as PfaP; several locations; supports several schools and health clinics.  Somewhat troubling, repeated emphasis on how little they value "rigid" scheduling...

Ol Donyo Lodge: Outpost for Ride Kenya Safaris (also, sadly, almost certainly beyond our riding ability); affiliated with two schools

Frommers Picks:

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy - Local NGO focused on conservation broadly defined; has some sort of accreditation system for "green" lodging and campsites; also supports wide range of community and education projects.  LWC links to Pack for a Purpose, but only two of LWC's very long list of projects appear to be included in PfaP's programs.  Frommers rec. as a starting place for finding volunteer placements; less clear how to use it this way but it *does* seem to be a possible vetting for lodging that's not top-top-end luxe. 

Note: Generally Frommers is my go-to guide; in Africa (and Kenya in particular) they seem mostly just to rephrase and rehash Lonely Planet content.

Half the Sky: An interruption from our regularly (?!) scheduled...

linking,  for some doubtless-scattered thinking.

Today, the big picture and my reactions to Half the Sky, by Kristoff and WuDunn.

I originally came up with the (brilliant! everyone should have one!) idea of a Digital Parking Lot when I was completing a graduate degree, fitting my studying in bits of time between ferrying three kids to three different schools, working part time, supervising homework, and (er, sort of... something has to be the priority that comes in last) managing a household.  I found, then, that it was helpful to keep track of certain types of assignments, and even to DO certain types of assignments, on line, so I could pick them up from various computers at home, at school, at work, at the various libraries I dipped into, and at my kids' schools and work on them even for just a few minutes at a time.  By parking in the Vast Interweb Ether, I always had access to the thoughts and words that were otherwise distributed on hard drives, notebooks and post-its that inevitably I'd Left Behind, somewhere.

I finished all that, and my Parking Lot sat unused for quite a while.

Then I decided to use it as a travel planning/dreaming tool.  It's good for that, too, because filing links electronically is easier, and more cross-linkable, and useful, than writing them down on post-its (post-its being my other primary, um, organizational tool) and sticking them into guide books.

The beautiful thing about personal parking lots is: you can put any dang vehicle you want, in there.  Run-down red minivans with 170K miles, malfunctioning passenger doors, and no air con...  Spiffy Lexuses with big old macho engines... itty bitty red Priuses (I'm negotiating, down from the aforementioned minivan -- so done with being a minivan mom, here) or convertible red Saabs (I can dream).  Red Vespa, even (though of course I'd never... well, at least while I had kids at home...)

So, now I think I'll use it now for a bit of thinking-out-loud on a different subject: charitable giving.

We do give, of course.  But if I'm honest with myself (which I try to be, at least two or three days out of any given year), I'd have to say we give much as we live: mostly reactively.  Without much thought either a priori or post hoc about where we give and why.  The overwhelming majority -- I would guess more than 90% -- of our giving goes to our house of worship and to our children's schools.  A bit of it goes to a few large organizations that we think are well run and doing critical work (like Doctors Without Borders and Heifer International), and to a slew of tree-hugger organizations who send me near-daily appeals.  The rest of it goes to organizations with whom our friends and family have some sort of connection -- they're on the board, or they're running the benefit, or their child avails of services, etc.

There's nothing wrong with any of that.  But I've recently read several books in quick succession, which together have challenged me to raise the bar a bit.  Both to increase the total amount of our giving, and also to be more intentional in how we go about allocating it.  I think I will write about them in order of Eureka! (rather than the order in which I read them-- because I'm still processing how they converge and what my overall takeaways should be).  Today's is:

Half the Sky, by Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.  The focus of the book is, as the subtitle puts it, "turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide."  As such, it devotes chapters to subtopics including sex trafficking, rape as a tool of war, honor killings, genital cutting, maternal mortality, and girls' education.

In a prior life, I worked in development, so I had some familiarity with many of the issues they cover.  But the book does an extraordinary job channel-surfing between Sachs-Sen style overviews of how big picture policy, socioeconomic and cultural frameworks really do affect lives (for better and worse), and New York Times style features on individual human beings.  Most writers -- most people, maybe -- focus either Big, or Small.  Perhaps because they co-write, Kristof and WuDunn manage to do both.

Anyway.  I've already found several takeaways I mean to add to The Things I Carry.

1.  Don't let perfection be the enemy of the good, in trying to work out How To Make A Difference.  While they profile a lot of local organizations that have accomplished a great deal of good, they also discuss a number of well-meaning efforts whose results were disappointing.  What they remind us is that development is really, really hard; and failure is part of the process.  We expect that of start-up businesses in the US; we expect that of stock market investments; we expect that of new interventions we attempt in school districts.  Why are we so disappointed when it happens in development?

2.  There are a lot of really great organizations out there, and Highly credible people are already vetting them for us.  Many organizations are directly profiled in the book; the authors feature a number of very effective local organizations doing God's work throughout Asia and Africa (neatly profiled and linked in an appendix).  Kristof regularly features more in his blog.  They also point us to monitors such as Charity Navigator to help us with locating and understanding other organizations.   The points are: 1) we don't have to limit our giving to big-name, big-picture organizations if we care about administrative efficiency; and 2) we don't have to re-invent the wheel trying to figure the smaller ones out -- other people are doing a good job with that for us, already.

3.  There are simple, efficient ways to give directly to individuals in need.  This gets back to the Big vs.  Small orientation issue; the desire we have to give directly to individuals in need (as opposed to large organizations) connects to several of the other books I've been reading (and will discuss shortly).  Kristof and Dunn tell us how to do it: through opening an account with Global Giving or Kiva.  Both are people-to-people (meaning they link us directly to a person in need overseas); Global Giving focuses on grass roots projects in education, health or disaster relief; while Kiva provides microloans to entrepreneurs.

Over the next few days, I'll write more about the other books still churning around my head:

Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder
Stumbling on Happiness, by Daniel Gilbert
The Black Swan, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
The Tipping Point, by Malcom Gladwell
The Road of Lost Innocence, by Somaly Mam

Japan

Pillars: History/Buddhism/Shinto/culture

wwoof Japan (start Y5,500 membership approximately 6 months before we want to go)

Ryokan Association (search by region)

Japanese Guesthouse Association (search by region)

Overnight temple stays (most in Koya-san, Kyoto and Nare).   If you go to Japan with your family, DO A TEMPLE STAY.  Oh my word ours was the coolest thing ever.  (We did Eko-in in the Koya-san complex; see below.)  This booking site is the best one, with direct links to the temples' own web sites if they have them and low mark-ups if you book through them.   This site comes up first in google searches but their rate quotes are often out of date. (search by region).  Temple-specific reviews in English are a little hard to track down, but honestly -- it's Japan, you won't go wrong.    This one is well-reviewed...

National Park guesthouses run by the Department of Environment throughout the country.  They look fun.
JR Railpass (as of 5/11: 14 day approx. $757 green/558 regular; 7 day approx. $468 green/350 regular)


Nagoya:

Stay (Night 1) in Toyota Castle Hotel (rental or airport bus ~70 minutes).  Update: It was hard to get information about accommodations in Toyota City; I guess it's off the beaten path.  The Castle was more than adequate.  Very comfortable rooms, very helpful staff, excellent breakfast.


See (Day 2): Toyota factory tour (M-F, English tours are 10:30-1).  This was GREAT.

On to: Ise Jingu (peninsula SE of Nagoya; maybe 2 hours? from Toyota)

Stay (nights 2 and 3) in Hoshide-kan (direct site here; TA feedback here) in Ise Jingu.  This place was spectacular, though English skills are quite limited (fortunately we had a Japanese speaker in our midst) and like most of traditional Japan, it lacks central heating.
Backups: Ise City Hotel nearby (LP); or Asakichi ryokan (Frommers); Daisoso ryokan in tiny village of Daio (Fodors); or Ishiyama-so in significantly more remote island of Yokoyama-jima (Frommer review here; sole TA review in Japanese)

See (Days 3 and 4): Ise Jingu Shinto grand shrines; Ise-Shima National Park; fishing villages with cormorant fisherman; pearl divers and public onsen in Toba (onsen appears, hilariously, to be part of Spain Village which also features flamenco dancing... - scroll down to item #5 on peninsula highlights); small village atmosphere.  Also on the peninsula is the Edo Wonderland (Frommer review here), a theme park devoted to the Shogun era, with demonstrations and geisha show. 

Stop en route (Day 4) in: Iga Ueno (100 km SW of Nagoya; on JR line) 
To see: Iga-Ryu Ninja museum ("energetic demonstrations of... throwing swords, daggers and sickles") open Wed-Mon 11-3; also Basho memorial and gardens in adjacent Ueno Park

On to Kyoto (maybe 2 hours, excluding stop?)

Kyoto:

Sleep (nights 4 and 5) Yachiyo ryokan next to Nanzen-ji temple (Fodors rec; expensive but looks lovely).  This is a "modern" ryokan; not as charming as the "traditional" ones, but on the other hand it does have central heating, not to be underestimated when traveling with children.  Very good location.
Backups: Westin Miyako: central locaction - TA feedback here;
Hyatt Regency Kyoto:  ALXN rec
See:

Kinkakuji (15th c/ rebuilt) Golden Pavillion and nearby Ryoanji Temple (Ryoanji has well-rated restaurant within the zen rock garden) NW corner.  We did eat at the restaurant and it was FAB.  They gave us a private room (there were 9 of us all together, including boisterous kids) overlooking a gorgeous enclosed rock garden.  Just lovely.
Ginkakuji Silver Pavillion, Philosophers' Pathway, and Nanzenji temple all near our ryokan (see Frommer's walking tour for restaurant stops, including Junsei bento lunch in a garden and Goemonjaya for quicker noodles)
Sanjusangen-do (Next door to Hyatt) 1001 Buddhas ALXN
Kyoto International Community House - can arrange home visits with local family (must appear in person, and show passports).  We didn't do this -- as mentioned, there were 9 of us and it just seemed too unwieldy -- but with a smaller crowd I'd definitely do it.

Klexon - cultural exchange association with emphasis on Japanese - English practice; has weekly Tuesday night meetings and organizes BBQs, excursions, volunteer work etc

Kiyomizu-dera district - old pedestrian street with old architecture with tea shops, pagodas, etc (Fodor star)

Outside Kyoto (um, I think):

? Ninn-ji Omuru-Kaikan temple (fish dinner; geared for children) or
? Myoshin-ji Daishin-in temple (outskirts of town), or
? Jyorengein temple (mountain on outskirts of town), or

Koya-san temple complex:

Check out Dai-mon complex of 120 temples, monasteries, schools set in mountain valley (World Heritage site).  This is the coolest place I've ever been to in Japan.  Unbelievable.  We only stayed one night and I was so, so sorry we hadn't planned on longer.  Thus far, only Japanese nationals and middle aged gay couples seem to have discovered it.  It *is* rather difficult to get to -- we were in a rental car, and the roads are rather hair-raising (good condition, but very winding and narrow -- would NOT want to do it in snowy conditions) and the public transport looks to be rather a nightmare.  So.worth.it, though.

Stay (Night 8): one of the many temples  - try:

Eko-in (LP and Frommers)  We did this one, and it was GREAT.  Wide polished hardwood floors throughout, beautiful gardens, spacious and pretty rooms, very plain/zen but peaceful and attractive baths, excellent (vegan) dinner.  (No central heating, of course.)  Only one of the monks spoke extensive English (our Japanese speaker had departed by this poing), but all were tremendously friendly and helpful.  We joined them for the ancestor memorial service and the fire ceremony in the morning -- both fascinating.  They have both wifi and beer-u, for those who care about such things.

Rengejo-in (Fodors)
Ichizyo-in (appears to be centrally located; can accommodate kids; does calligraphy)
Kumagai-ji (dunno a blessed thing about this one, but it's so tiny and has an English website and looks so dang cute!  Let's at least stop by and check it out)

Then down to Yunomine or Kawa-yu onsen region

Stay (nights 9,10,11):
Try in Yunomine: Adumaya (~Y11,000 pp/night) *the bridge to Yunomine was washed out during our stay, so we couldn't try this*
in Kawa-yu: Fujiya (~Y16,000 pp/night and much larger)

Note:  This site is nothing but a list of links to Wakayama region ryokans' individual sites, but since getting direct contact can be so difficult, it's useful to keep on hand.  The various booking sites are often the only way to work around the language issues and no-credit-card issues; but they are poorly equipped to deal with any complications such as children, or dinner one night room-only the next, etc.
Final night: back in Sheraton...


Last night near Kansai airport:
(I'm pretty sure that) all of these are within a 40 minute train ride (south) of the airport. Of them, maybe try Mantei onsen...



Or, for the firm of heart, Rural village excursion:


Start with Hygogo tourist board guide to pick one

Then pick a ryokan with onsen from this or one of the nation-wide associations


Volunteer guides who want to practice English available in Kobe, Hanshin, and variety of other towns (no guide fee; just expenses)

Osaka:

Noodle factory museum - this was actually a highlight!  We were the only gaijins there (but all the instructions were helpfully printed in English).  Especially good with kids, although it appeared, implausibly, to be a popular date spot... (Japan is so excellent...)

Hilton Osaka ALXN

Shitennoji Temple 6th c. (!! and not rebuilt!!) Oldest original Buddhist temple in Japan; TA reviews very positive though many are focused on flea market that takes place on 21st of each month

Osaka Castle (Osaka-jo Koen-mae station) Reconstructed 16th c. ALXN.  This was actually terrific.

Sumiyoshi-taisha (Sumihoshi Koen station) established 3rd c. (!!!) - one of oldest Shinto shrines in Japan; predates Buddhism; guardian diety patron of sailors

Buraku Theatre (Noh-style but with puppets; Osaka is world center); near "essential Osaka experience" of Dotombori-dori nightlife scene

Osaka Aquarium: TA reviews very positive; Fodor starred; has street performers on weekends.  This was also great.

Human Rights Museum (Ashihara station)

Hattori Ryokuchi Koen (Ryokuchi Koen station) - Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses with outdoor Kabuki, re-enactors etc

Mimiu Soba hot pot till you drop :o) ALXN

Tsururhashi district (Tsuruhashi station - Korea Town) for poke-o-rama and yaki-niku BBQ

Hiatus... Hoping: South Asia

Pillars: Volunteering, Ecology Study


Accommodation:


Cambodia / Phnom Penh: Meas Family Homestay Affiliated with Pack for a Purpose and Books for Cambodia (registered New Zealand charity); organizes short term teaching with local primary schools UB


Cambodia / Siem Reap: Shinta Mani  Affiliated with Stay Another Day; runs elementary school adjacent to hotel.  We participated in one of their community development projects several years ago.  Currently (4/11) closed for renovations (evidently upgrading considerably from prior, very acceptable but fairly modest, facility.  Recently opened sister facility in LP/Laos.

Cambodia / Siem Reap: Sala Bai Affiliated with French development agency and partner NGO; looks more like Shinta Mani looked four years ago.  Runs very small (4 room) hotel and restaurant; affiliated with a number of local projects.


Laos / Northest of Vientiane: Rivertime Ecolodge  Affiliated with Pack for a Purpose; has wealth of cultural immersion activities and short term volunteering.  TA feedback largely positive, including from several families.  UB

Laos / Luang Prabang: Shinta Mani Affiliated with Stay Another Day and sister property in Siem Reap.  Looks very very posh...

Volunteering:

Conservation in Borneo with GVI:  MB; listed as one of the family-friendly projects.  I also like their teaching english to monks in LP/Laos but that one is NOT listed as family friendly; as well as several attractive teaching/orphanage projects in Thailand.

Ponheary Ly Foundation in Cambodia: UB various opportunities with schools; linked by sixintheworld but they may just have stayed in the guesthouse; not clear if appropriate for families

Volunteer Thailand: Vast database from idealist.org of local NGOs in Thailand.  Most want 3+ month commitment, but some are shorter term and a handful explicitly welcome families; peruse anew closer to timeframe.


Isara in Nong Khai, Thailand (not too far in *distance* from Laos border crossing SE of Vientiane): From Volunteer Thailand; network of primary schools plus they run their own (free, volunteer run) evening English class for adults.  Open to families but they suggest finding own accommodations; will help find short term apartment.  UB

AboutAsia Schools: Cambodian non-profit, also registered as US 501(c)3, supporting 6 schools in Siem Reap.  Affiliated with Points of Light.


Tibetan Children's Village in Dharamsala, India (JM works here); won Opera Montessori Internacionale award in 2000

In-country logistics:

Tiger Trail / Fair Trek: For profit, Dutch/German/Lao company specializing in cultural immersion / voluntourism.  Most of the LP-based trips MB

Hiatus... Hoping: Connecting the Dots

(even for a Digital Parking Lot of half-baked ideas with nothing but unvetted links, this post is PARTICULARLY half-baked with almost completely unvetted links... but the idea is, as I dream about places we'd love to go and experiences we'd love to plunge into in a hiatus year, we also remember the skills we can bring to the table)

(Thousand) Points of  Light Institute: Focus on "skills-based volunteer" matching and corporate partnerships.  Existing centers in El Salvador, the Philippines (particularly good website -- useful model),  Shanghai, Delhi (interesting-looking structured professional sabbatical with legal / pharma potential), Brazil, Korea (link doesn't work) and Zimbabwe (link doesn't work); as well as Amsterdam, Ottawa and Tokyo.  All have NYC Cares-type short term opportunities; Philippines and India have longer term as well; the better websites demonstrate corporate sponsorship and in some cases USAID and Netherlands development assistance.

Idealist.org: Massive, global database searchable by countries which includes both agency and direct volunteer placements.  Good starting point by country.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Focus on grants (wide range, but bulk in developing world seem to be $0.5-1.5M) oriented mostly to public health and post-secondary education.  Remarkably transparent site, including primer on strategy / grantmaking / assessment / adjustment cycle with extraordinarily matter-of-fact assessment of lessons learned.  Generally awards to smaller implementing NGOs (Heifer, Habitat, CARE etc) within strategy areas, which in turn appear to be set regionally; though some larger awards are to UN affiliates (ie IFPRI) and some smaller ones to local institutions (particularly universities).  Relatively less active in South America; no projects in either Ecuador or Peru.

Ford Foundation: Focus on grants (most $150-250K) to smaller NGOs.  Programs in all regions; strategic emphasis on Expanding Community Rights over Natural Resources (projects in Brazil, Indonesia, China, East Africa, Mexico) most obvious fit; many other bits and pieces, particularly for training, under economic justice, climate change, and expansion of microfinance.  Partners with both big (UNDP, Oxfam) and tiny local NGOs.  Regional offices in Santiago (serving Peru), Johannesburg (serving Southern Africa), and Delhi (India, Nepal and Sri Lanka), among others.

Clinton Global Initiative: All-star board and membership; focus on private-public partnerships.

Business Call to Action: Private-public partnerships; privates include Barclays, Pfizer, Microsoft, Ericcson, Tata; publics include USAID, UNDP, UK, Canadian and Australian aid organizations

Open Society Foundation (Soros): Main focus is Eastern Europe / democratization; but limited selected projects in education (particularly secondary and post-secondary) in South America and Asia.

LexMundiProBono: Legal work to various projects (unclear if you have to be in a participating firm to participate)

Whole Planet Foundation (Whole Foods!!): Focus (obviously) on organic / sustainable agriculture, apparently mostly by supporting microcredit.  Surprisingly large grants (up to 300K), many in Central America, handful in Peru, Bolivia etc.

GMR Varalakshmi Foundation (GM Rao): Historic focus on public health, entrepreneurial development and community-based institutional development; Rao recently pledged $340M more, the bulk of which is slated for primary education.  (India only)

Global Giving: Simple site that (apparently) enables funds to flow more or less directly from global donors to (relatively) local NGOs.  Process for nominating local organizations, which then undergo due diligence process.  Affiliated with Whole Planet Foundation and other vetted organizations; written up in NYT and WSJ.

stay-another-day.org: IFC-initiated partnership to facilitate sustainable tourism; currently have Mekong programs in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam; plan to expand into Southern Africa as well.  Partners include LP, Climate Care, Sustainable Travel International and worldhotel-link.com. Short term, well-vetted opportunities for volunteering and engagement.  (We participated in one of these projects in Cambodia several years ago and ate/shopped at several of the Vietnam projects; it's definitely worth tracking down the country booklet.)  Link isn't working today (4/14).

Worldhotel Travel is a global search/booking database, putatively for hotels, tour operators and eco-lodges that are locally run and sustainably operated (self-selected, I think).  For some countries that are otherwise hard to get good information on (Swaziland), it might be a good starting point.

Sustainable Travel International appears (?), among other things, to act as a clearinghouse for online donors to contribute (more or less) directly to local organizations/projects once they have been (?) vetted for appropriateness.  Program is somehow (?) linked with Global Giving, which is 501(c)3; however it's not clear if donations through it are deductible.

Pack for a Purpose: Devote 5 pounds of your suitcase capacity to bringing in school or medical supplies when you're otherwise staying at a participating eco-lodge (just drop package off at the check-in desk). US 501(c)3 affiliated with Sustainable Travel International. (Many of my already-discovered gems, including Hotel de la Paix and Black Sheep Inn, participate -- site is probably useful just to search for funky accommodations.)  This pretty much defines low-hanging fruit.

Virgin Money Giving: Evidently a lot of businesses are setting up similar programs to funnel donations to (not particularly vetted) local organizations; I like this one because it's unusually transparent on its fee structure.  Eventually I'll find a US-based one, but for the moment this is the model.

Hiatus... Hoping: South Africa / Southern Africa

Maps:


Zoomable roadmap
Jiwire's hotspots (lots of them)


Pillars: Volunteering, Ecology, Safari


Book Bus - Zambia program has taken families before NQ and includes side trip to Victoria Falls; also does safari trips originating and ending in Lilongwe, Malawi; and another route entirely within Malawi

Orca Foundation - marine research / ecotourism with voluntouristy component an hour or so (? maybe more?) outside Capetown.

Enkosini - Alleged US registered 501(c)3 (?) affiliated with range of conservation projects, mostly around Kruger and Capetown.  Essentially eco-tourism; not clear what volunteers *do*; but that may fit the bill for families... director noted that Enkosini Wildlife Reserve, Makalali Game Reserve, and Whale & Dolphin Marine Project are suitable for families.  Concerned that though they list as 501(c)3, the number does not actually turn up with Charity Navigator or the IRS.

Kariega - several eco-lodges along "Garden Route" on Cape; take short term volunteers as well as eco-tourist kinds of projects

Siyafunda - Rehab center near Kruger

help2read - South African-registered NGO outside Capetown, affiliated with Books for Africa; variety
of very short term (ie office help for one afternoon) to gap year teaching opportunities (18+); Goodwill Globetrotting keeps Pack-for-a-Purpose-like wishlist running for them

you2africa - help2read-linked database of a handful of Capetown-based projects, including seven schools, taking (18+) medium and longterm volunteers

United Planet does not have program in South Africa; Tanzania teaching & orphanage programs are open to families NQM at "basic" program; NAA at full-service including (attractive) excursions


Daktari Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage: Enrichment/support for middle school kids and animal rehab center in Limpopo (near Kruger); extensive (rather cooked) TA feedback; but also affiliated with Thousand Points of Light and Global Giving and appears quite established; MB at 2 weeks.  Website insists all participants must be 16+ but worth checking in with them if our itinerary brings us in that direction, particularly if we have a car at that point.  Alternate contact through Goodwill Globetrotting, evidently a UK-based Pack for a Purpose sort of clearinghouse...


Global Camps Africa: PL initiative


Global Vision International seems to have greatest range of projects in the region; most are not listed as open for families but it's worth checking, as a number of their *other* projects are open and some of these sound like they could be appropriate. Includes a couple in Swaziland. Project costs vary substantially.

Cross-Cultural Solutions - Capetown (teaching and community development) volunteering NAA

GoEco voluntourism trip (education) with side trips to penguins and safari (does not specify where); sure wish I could find independent reviews NQ

Visiting:

Zambia:

SEKA - Community theater program in (central Zambia, near South Luangwa Natl Park) which focuses on AIDS awareness and other (mostly health related) outreach efforts.  For $200, will come to a tourist destination or community project near you.  Affiliated with Norman Carr operation (his granddaughter is MD and one of the co-founders) and Pack for a Purpose.

Project Luangwa - Umbrella organization founded by Jo Pope (wife of Robin) which draws on resources of network of safari operators (I think all in South Luangwa) to support a number of schools, health and conservation initiatives

Room to Read - John Wood's well-financed and -connected global organization building community libraries has expanded into girls' education scholarships and school buidling as well; running a Zambia field trip on Oct 2-3 but this is unlikely to fit The Schedule
Malawi:

Malawi Children's Village - founded in 1987 by former Peace Corps volunteers; run a range of services including orphan support services, malaria nets, HIV education, to villages around Blantyre

Friends of Mulanje Orphans - UK based non-profit providing orphan support services; featured in the excellent (YA fiction) The Heaven Shop

South Africa:

South Africa National Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (i.e., working with the penguins): this is the direct link to the true research organization in Capetown, for those looking for the direct link. However, does not appear to work with families.

Booksforafrica projects near Capetown

Growing the Future - sustainable agriculture focusing on developing women's skill base; in Gansbaii/ Western Cape; alternate address via Goodwill Globetrotting.  They do take volunteers but not suitable for families... too bad my jam-making skills are so rudimentary...

Angus Gillis Foundation community lending program a la Grameen with range of projects in / around Kwandwe Private Game Reserve (Eastern Cape)

Bridges Academy - well established school in Philippi (Capetown township) ; affiliated with California-based Bridges of Hope, which is classified by IRS as non profit foundation (not a charity) though FWIW it does not appear on Charity Navigator

Heifer South Africa: Community development projects, most within 2 hours of Heifer office in Limpopo; Heifer evidently also recently opened an office in Capetown (dunno if this link will hold: Darling St 8000)

Daktari (see above) near Limpopo

Imagine Scholars: Can't quite figure out exactly what this *is*; possibly just a couple funding a bunch of enrichment scholarships for a handful of hand-picked highschoolers... just below Kruger and above Swaziland; linked through idealist.org

Recommended Accommodations:


Johannesburg:

Capetown:

Kruger National Park: RG recommends renting a car and staying at park's own restcamps, which offer game drives and night walks and a "great vibe"... (More diligence, perhaps).  Park also has seven breathtakingly expensive luxury lodges.  Still looking for a happy medium.

KwaZulu Natal: a basically random walk brought me to The Cavern, so reviews TBD, but it looks intriguing if we do go off in that direction...

In-Country Logistics:

Rovos Train: Skip highly recommended overnight from Pretoria to Capetown $$$$
Wild Card: Parks passport-type program for all SA parks and many reserves; has family card (check once itinerary is more solid to see if it makes sense)


South African Airways: Main game in town; has travel agent arm that puts together packages; also look at the AirPass once a couple of pillars are in place


Safari Now: Short term apartments and boutique hotels as well as safari operators throughout southern Africa; recommended in Rough Guide

Greenwood Guide: Selected accommodations in South Africa, Namibia and New Zealand (?!) with vetted standards; recommended in Rough Guide


Cape Town Tourism: Booking services to national park cottages

JM's rec for renting Cape Town apartments

Robben Island: Many boats go near the island; only this museum provider is allowed to go onto the island.  Guidebooks and site itself warn to book ahead on line.


Table Mountain National Park: (penguins) day pass or has cottages

Tour providers:

JK rec Robin Pope Safaris in Zambia and Malawi
Cultural visits in Port Elizabeth / easter Cape area: Calabash Tours (somewhat random walk to get there; affiliated through several degrees of separation, via UK and Netherlands Calabash Foundation, to idealist.org)

Safari tours:  RG recommends Livingstone Trails, Outlook Small Group Explorations, Transfrontiers and Wildlife Safaris for Kruger.  Fodors recommends SKI (which, no kidding, stands for Spend the Kids' Inheritance), South African Airways' Expressions of Africa, Cybele, Matsimba, Springbok and Welcome Tours.

HandsUp Holidays: RG rec; combines touristy with "taste of volunteering" activities.  Expensive.

Baobab Travel family South Africa/Swaziland trip (RG rec) combines Kruger, Swaziland, "cultural education," and Stay Another Day add-ons such as turtle tracking, community development, etc. NAA

Pithy advice from those who've traveled the road before:

The Gills on hauling electronics through South Africa as hub on the way to other destinations (sigh)

sixintheworld on just renting a minivan and camping in the SA parks

Note: library has Fodor's South Africa 7th ed/2012, Rough Guide South Africa 2010; LP South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland 8th ed/2009; LP Southern Africa 4th ed/2007; and Bradt Malawi 3rd 2003 (sigh)

Hiatus... Hoping: Peru

Maps:


National Geographic's
JiWire's wifi hotspots (not so hot...)


Pillars: Spanish study, volunteering, Inca study, Machu Pichu


Amauto - MB  Language school in Sacred Valley (40 min drive from Cusco) and in Cusco.  Sacred Valley accommodations are on-campus; homestays in Cusco.  Also has facilities in Argentina.


United Planet - Community development volunteering with homestay, bit of Spanish instruction, and excursion out of Cusco.  Optional add-on to floating islands of Titicaca.  Canadian based non-profit.  MB; this combo sounds good


Spanish in Peru - Language school with locations in Cusco, Sacred Valley and Tambopata.  Advertises a family program.  MB

Amigos - Language school with attached youth program; Cusco


San Blas - Language school in Cusco.  Says they have a program for kids.  MB


Casa de Avila - Hotel / hostel / language school in Alquileda (?) which has an enormous TA following


Machu Pichu:


Mountain Lodges of Peru - NGT-rec trek company that runs lodge-to-lodge trek on non-Inca trail ($$$)

REI lodge trek - very similar itinerary

Recommended Accommodations:


Lima: Second Home Peru: MB, Frommers rec; TA feedback very positive

Lima: Casa Andina San Antonio:  MB, Frommers rec but TA feedback mixed


Cusco: Ninos Hotel: MB, Frommers rec as great for kids; TA feedback positively rhapsodic; run by founders of Fundacion Ninos Unidos Peruanos; have four apartments suitable for families


Cusco: Casa Andina Cusco Korichanda: MB, Frommers rec; TA feedback generally positive.  (Note: there are four other Casa Andinas in Cusco; the Private Collection tier is more luxe)


Cusco: La Casa de Don Ignacio:  MB, Hospitality school associated; TA feedback limited.  WiFi and computer room on-site.  Same school runs a restaurant in Lima as well.

Ollantaytambo: Apu Lodge B&B:   (unvetted, but): has nice list of things to to in/around Ollantaytambo (from which bus to MP departs)


In-Country Logistics:


South American Explorers' Club - Lima and another clubhouse in Cusco -  LP, TA and Frommers all say to join.  Both Amauto and Spanish in Peru language schools give a 10% discount to members, so it would pay for itself for a family.  The Cusco clubhouse runs a Pub Quiz every Wednesday night, at which, evidently, it sells beer and uses the proceeds to support various local causes... which sound... well, maybe not so family friendly.

Hiatus... Hoping: Ecuador

Maps:

National Geographic's; shows national reserves

Basic zoom-able roadmap

JiWire's fascinating map of wifi hot spots (not, alas, too many in Ecuador.  Many more in Colombia; go figure)

"Pillars": Spanish study, ecology study, volunteering, Galapagos

Montanita: MB  Highly-rated language school with locations in Quito, Banos (S of Quito) and Manta (SW of Quito; beach). Manta location also has combination Spanish / PADI scuba programs (not clear if they'd be able to accommodate kids) and looks like most suitable beachside Spanish school option for our family.  Homestays or apartments in all three locations. Will organize half-day volunteering as well for 4 week stays. Also organizes side excursions, including to Galapagos.

Simon Bolivar: Language school with locations in Quito, Cuenca, and especially promising-looking beachside Palmazul (which is, alas, over budget).  Cuenca location  MB , which is supposed to be a worthwhile destination unto itself and is also within day trip reach of Ingapirca, looks like most suitable location for us.  Also partners with others to organize volunteer opportunities and excursions, including to Galapagos. Frommers gives star; brief reviews here and here.

Andean Global Studies: Language school with location in Quito, and partner arrangements with other schools (possible those above?) in Manta, Montanito, and Cuenca.  Arranges volunteer stints, including with Jatun Sacha.  Can string together multiple locations.  MB

Puka Inti: School in Quito; can arrange in multiple locations including Otalvo, Mindo, Galapagos and Yarina Lodge/Amazon.  NGTraveler did feature suggesting they accommodate families at MB.  Can also arrange volunteering (not clear re: families) and longterm gap year stints.  Unusually thoughtful website, including prompts to think through goals and motivations.

Instituto Superior de Espanol: 6 locations, including Quito, Otavalo NQB, and Galapagos.  Frommers gives two stars; also I like their emphasis on teaching methodology.  Otavalo location (of the famous handicraft market; a destination unto itself) the most intriguing looking for us.  Not clear about suitability for families.  Galapagos program includes Santa Cruz-based land portion with afternoon excursions plus a 1-7 night boat/yacht excursion at the end, at various levels of comfort / expense.

Bipo & Toni's: Quio: Frommers gives two stars; home stays and volunteer opportunities.  Website navigates best if you happen to speak German, but it looks quite promising.

Yachana Lodge: NQB NGTraveler award-winning ecolodge in Tena (N of Quito) which also runs a Spanish program run by Yanapuma (see below). Evidently a portion of lodge profits are plowed into local technical high school. Organizes transportation from Quito and has a travel agency arm as well. TA feedback limited but positive; look for review from mother who took all 5 of her kids ages 8-19.

Yanapuma: appears to be a loose confederation of Spanish teachers who will go pretty much wherever you want, and provide private or semiprivate Spanish lessons along your way.  Interesting, if budget-busting, model.


Amazonas: Frommers-two-starred; multiple locations including one (rather dear, Santa Cruz based) option in Galapagos.  Not clear if they can accommodate families (can do one-on-one classes, but accommodations may be tricky)

United Planet - Conservation project in Nanegalito that looks appropriate (not clear re: families; teaching and orphanage projects as well)

Book Bus Ecuador: 2+ week stints; mostly homestays; bus runs all year in one of 4 locations: Tena/Amazon jungle (Jan/Feb/March); Esmereldas/ Pacific Coast (April/May/June); Puerto Lopez (June/July/Aug); Riobamba/High Andes (Sept/Oct/Nov/early Dec)

57-day Trip by VentureCo combining language school in Quito, 2 weeks on Book Bus, and trip to Machu Pichu and Lake Titicaca, which would appear to get 3 birds within one set of logistics (whole lot of days traveling by bus; and not clear if they'd take families, however)

Ecoventura's Galapagos trip: Best fit of all I've seen so far (20 passenger boat, Frommer recommended guides; family programs).  Does not exactly fit the budget, sigh...

WWF Galapagos trip (once a year)

Global Volunteer Network (the well-rated NZ non profit) supports 5 different conservation-oriented projects throughout Ecuador, including the San Cristobal center in Galapagos; not clear how many (if any) are appropriate for families.

Jatun Sacha: Courses and volunteering in reserve and Galapagos itself.  Can volunteer directly, or go through several of the main agencies.  Lots of feedback out there on the volunteer experience; looks very interesting for later phase but not really suitable for families.  Look into the courses.

Global Volunteers: Family-appropriate project with Fundacion de Damas Calderones (FUNDAC), agency in Quito working with disadvantaged children. Start dates are episodic.

(no CCS programs in Ecuador)

Arte del Mundo- Library / tutoring / English school in Banos looking for volunteers (answered LP request for family volunteering opportunities, though web site specifies age 23+)

Cloudforest Conservation in La Hesperida, Ecuador (90 km from Quito); specified elsewherethat they are very flexible with families; have Montessori school on premises; on-site Spanish classes as well; 4 week commitment preferred

National Geographic's breathtakingly expensive but doubtless very well narrated Galapagos expedition

Recommended Lodging:

Black Sheep Inn - MB in Quilotoa (4 hours mostly S and a bit W of Quito) - Rural but posh ecolodge repeatedly recommended/awarded by National Geographic Traveler and others. All-vegetarian menus.  They have a relationship with a local library and school and will happily accept not-too-old (see website) used laptops. They will organize transportation from Quito upon request. Very extensive TA feedback which is almost uniformly positive.

El Monte NQB  Sustainable Lodge - Mindo (2 hours' drive N of Quito; Equator Monument is more or less on the way) cloudforest; written up in NGTraveler; looks comfortable but not over the top. TA feedback mixed.

Hacienda La Alegria - Within striking distance of Quito; has extensive horseback riding program; recommended by Frommers as a top pick for kids.  Near Cotopaxi National Park / volcano.  Has family suites.  Extensive and very positive TA feedback.

Hacienda Rumiloma - 2 hours north of Quito, super luxe, recommended by NGTraveler; TA feedback is limited but very positive.

Kapawi Ecolodge - 6 hours SE of Quito in rainforest near Peruvian border -- remote fly-in only; recommended by NGTraveler; TA feedback generally positive (I think R&A stayed here?)

Sacha Lodge - Loooong way from Quito (fly in) on coast; organizes 3 and 4 day boat excursions to Galapagos as well; recommended by NGTraveler

Napo Wildlife Center - within Yasuni National Reserve; first fly then take a dugout canoe; TA feedback extensive and generally positive.

In-country logistics:

South American Explorers' Club - Quito Clubhouse - Both LP and TA fora recommend joining, and dropping by, to vet travel agents / immersion schools / host of other logistics

(get name of travel agent R&A had such a good experience with)

VentureCo: Used by Book Bus; also runs own programs throughout South America, including to Galapagos

GapAdventures: Used by wideworld family to Galapagos; also runs all sorts of other places

Tauck: Travel agency recommended by Frommers for family excursions, including to Galapagos

Cotopaxi: Ecuadorian travel agency also recommended by Frommers

Links to others' experiences:

Wideworld: Especially nice writeup (kids 13 and 9ish), along with kid-friendly youtubes

Family with similarly aged kids

RTWFerrers with boys 10 and 12

Costa Rica

March 2011

Costa Rica is a great family destination.  Our family went for a week of Spanish immersion, living with a Costa Rican family and attending classes during the day; then my parents joined up with us for a bit of more traditional touring.  Both parts of the trip were terrific, and all of us could easily have stayed on longer.  


There is a huge range of accommodations, from the very spiffiest to very basic.  We experienced the full range, and it all was just fine.  (Sure, the posh place was, in fact, posher.)  Conservation is taken quite seriously throughout the country, and this seems to alter the typical tourist dynamic in a positive way.  Foreign visitors are there to appreciate the (considerable) natural splendors, which is different from tourists coming to fry on the beaches and scoop up stuff from the shops.


The shopping is, in fact, limited.  We didn't make it to the beaches, though I understand they are marvelous and I now hope to see them, someday.  The roads also are not so great, particularly out to Monteverde.  But I wonder if that's actually public policy.

What We Did:

Language School (6 nights):

Conversa: just outside San Jose (Santa Ana); both homestay and on-campus apartments available.  We did the homestay and were really glad we did, though it may not be suitable for all families.  Conversa has programs for kids & retirees. Excellent and systematic teaching program. They did a very good job accommodating the various / evolving needs of our family-- we had a full range from absolutely no Spanish at all, to fairly high intermediate level.   Will arrange for tours / transport elsewhere throughout Costa Rica prior to or after school stay.

Monteverde Cloud Forest (3 nights):

Monteverde Lodge & Garden: Fodor-starred; lovely; close enough to town that you can walk, but with extensive gardens and wildlife sanctuary on the grounds, so once you get there you feel like you're in an oasis.  Surprisingly good restaurant. (booked through CR Expeditions).

Addendum: To my great astonishment, a week after our return, I got an email from Michael Kaye, the founder of Costa Rica Expeditions, asking me how my trip was, what they did well and what they could do better... Turns out he keeps a chatty, informal blog and is constantly soliciting his clients' feedback.

Final Night (within striking distance of airport -- 1 night):

Peace Lodge and Waterfall Garden: Fodor-rec; 1 hour N of airport on good road; also near Poas Volcano. Very posh and restful; has extensive waterfall walk, zoo and gardens on premises.  The garden and zoo are a destination unto themselves (people buy day ticket admission).  We were there one delightful afternoon, night and morning, and actually did not have time to see everything.  

Stuff to see/do:

Cloud Forest Reserve: with trails, canopy walks, etc. Get a guide.

Selvatura Park: frommer-rec for zip lines, treetip walk, hummingbird garden and more

Sabine's Horseriding: frommer-rec, 3 hour guided tours including kids out to waterfalls for $45

SkyTrek: Alternate zipline place; may have less for seniors

Monteverde Cheese Factory: tours at 9a and 2p

El Trapiche 2 hour farm tour: Frommer rec; various CR products; includes ox cart ride (!); $30 adult / $10 kids 6-12

Monteverde Coffee: 3 hour circuit around fair trade cooperative; tours $30

CASEM: poke-a-rama cooperative; right next to coffee farm. Disappointing, actually.

Monteverde Friends School: k-12 bilingual school running continuously since first Quaker settlement in 1955. Neat. They welcome medium-duration volunteers and are actively soliciting 10th-12th graders who'd like to do a semester or year-long study there.

Other / Next time:

CPI: Another well-reputed language school with three campuses at Flamingo (beach in NW corner of country - Guanacaste region), Monteverde (cloud forest), and Heredia (outside San Jose); homestays or they will arrange apartments. They will link together multiple weeks at different campuses. We visited Monteverde campus -- very lovely; about the same number of students as Conversa; more compact campus but with many more after-class options nearby. Not walkable to town but taxis easily call-able.

Tortuga Lodge: Sister property to Monteverde Lodge in Tortuguera (NE corner of coast). Go during hatching season (June-October). Don't be put off by the website (as I was when considering Monteverde Lodge) -- CR Expeditions by all accounts does a really solid job on everything except web design. They'll string together visits to both of the lodges they manage, plus rafting trips, plus other hotels throughout the country that they recommend.

Springs Resort: Sister property to very posh Peace Lodge, near Arenal volcano (west-side of central; accessible by better roads than Monteverde side of the ridge). Doubtless very nice and breathtakingly expensive.

Small Distinctive Hotels of Costa Rica: Self-defined collection of luxury hotels throughout the country; all of which look lovely in their promotional materials

Nature Air: To avoid those Fin de Pavemento roads... for those families whose jefe permits little planes landing on little runways. Also has daily runs to Panama and Nicaragua.

Congregation B'nei Israel: Progressive, in San Jose

El Establo: Frommer-rec. resort in Monteverde with family suites (Sigh; not available on our dates...) Looks very lovely; not walkable to town.

Hidden Canopy - small resort in Monteverde with treetop rooms and one suite

Links to cool places, many with volunteer opportunities

Quebec City

February 2011

Quebec City is beautiful -- cobbled and hilly and crowded with cafes and bistros.  Perhaps in the summer season it might tip over the edge and become precious, but in February post-Carnival, it isn't at all crowded.  What it is, is cold.  Cold as in, you can't walk up the cobbled hill the 5 blocks to get to the fort museum without popping into one store to purchase lined hats for the teenagers who were too cool to bring them on the trip at all because who wears hats in Connecticut and New York; and then again into another store two blocks later to purchase long underwear for the eight year old, who did remember and wear her hat, but didn't think she needed long underwear for a five block walk.

Really, really cold.  Daytime temperatures ranged between 10-20 F (-12 to -7 C); and it was much colder than that after dark; and I hate to be a wimp, but it did affect our experience.   Ordinarily, we like to poke around galleries and shops, peer into fifteen restaurants before selecting one, soak up sidewalk ambiance... There was none of that.  We selected a destination and marched directly to it, and jostled at the door to get into the foyer first.

Ironically, given this reaction to the cold, the purpose and timing of the trip was to go to the Ice Hotel.  Which was amazing.  We all made it through the full night (even my sister in law, who wasn't at all convinced), and even the surliest of the teenagers briefly laid down the cool to whoop down the ice slide.  Everyone should experience it once.

(And, having experienced it once, I personally am prepared to say, Check!  Done that!)

What We Did:

Accomodations:

2 nights at Le Saint Pierre Nice brick-walled rooms in terrific location; good breakfast.

1 night at Hotel de Glace: A night to remember.

See:

Vieux Quebec (walk from Le Saint Pierre)

Morrin Center (old prison converted to library)

Funicular

Musee de la Civilisation

Citadel fortress

Israel

Edited February 2012:
We actually took this trip back in June 2011; just updating here to highlight pieces we actually did that we especially enjoyed.

Finding kibbutz lodging (I can't decide if I like this site.)

IsraLimo - Could be easier than dealing with rentals, though this isn't clear
Van Service Israel - And another option


Upon Arrival:

Mini Israel (ARD and Fodor rec): Miniature overview of whole country with description of all must-see sites giving physical and historical overview of whole (15 minutes from airport; open until 6 on except Fridays)
EDITED:   

This was cute, in a kitschy kids' way, but not worth going out of your way for.  It's not geographically accurate, which is frustrating if your purpose is to orient yourself.  Upon examination my brother-in-law confessed he'd never actually BEEN there, only heard about it.  Sheesh.  It *is* extremely accessible from the airport.

Sleep (Nights 1 and 2): Netanya


BOOKED: Seasons Netanya: On beach; family suites; Fodor rec; TA feedback hilariously bipolar
EDITED:  OK, nothing special.  Food is especially uninspiring.  That said, I really enjoyed being in Netanya, a large and bustling seaside town that tourists don't go to.  The kids thoroughly enjoyed the public beaches, and it was easy to get to Caesarea and further up the coast.

(Also considered: Dan Caesarea; TA feedback so cooked as to be useless)


Day 2: Caesarea; return to Netanya

Overview: Roman port city, into Byzantine capital, into Crusader stronghold; 30 minutes S of Haifa)

Must-sees: Roman theater, Herodian Ampitheater, Roman aqueduct; Byzantine Street; Crusader City (Read kids Josephus account)
EDITED: Caesarea was AWESOME.  Not to be missed.  The bulk of the ruins are within a well-run national park, and then the aqueducts are slowly sinking into a public beach -- you can climb right atop them.

Also: Time Trek (kid-friendly historical re-enactment with big picture overview)

Day 3: Haifa for day; drive onto Tsafat for night

Haifa Overview: Seaside; world center of Baha'i faith; pretty gardens & promenades; 3rd largest city in country. Must-sees: Bahai Shrine and gardens (UNESCO WH site); German Colony pedestrian street
EDITED: Haifa's rare in that different populations actually intermingle on the streets, in restaurants, etc.  Gardens are lovely.  You can't see much of them unless you carefully time to hit one of the tours, which are given in various languages.

Also: Carmelite monastery and nearby Elijah's Cave; National Museum of Science and Technology

Tsafat (Nights 3-4):

Overview: center of Kabbalah. Must-sees: Abouhav and Caro synagogues, Hameiri House, walled city.

BOOKED: Villa Galillee: outside town center; TA feedback largely positive, if confusingly verbatim with Artists' Colony (?!)  (Also considered: Artists' Colony - B&B (no restaurant); TA feedback generally positive; looks beautiful but 8 year olds aren't welcome.  Makes it easy... and Ruth Rimonim (Fodors; TA feedback mixed)
EDITED: LOVED Villa Galillee -- it was by FAR our nicest hotel in Israel, and among the nicest I've been in anywhere -- beautiful, tranquil, small enough to be intimate but large enough to support a real restaurant, whose food was terrific -- you (ahem) wouldn't even know it's kosher, though it is.  You do need a rental car for it to work -- it's quite high up on a steep hill, with no transportation.

Also loved Tsafat.

Day 4: See Tsafat, raft the Jordan; back to Tsafat for the night

Day 5: Golan/Galilee for day; drive down to Jerusalem by evening

Jerusalem (Nights 5-8):

BOOKED: Inbal (HB, Fodor and TA; SW of SW corner of Old City and N of German Colony); Tripadvisor feedback generally positive, if somewhat cooked

Also considered: YMCA Three Arches (TA feedback generally positive); Ramat Rachel (Fodors, DK; TA feedback reasonable, and it looks perfectly suitable but I thought it'd be better to be right in Old City)
EDITED:  Inbal was perfectly adequate, though no value.  Its food was good, it's well located.  A little irritating that its pool closed at 5p every day.  We went to a reception at Ramat Rachel, and I think it would have worked well for families as well, though it is located beyond the true town limits and you'd really need a rental car to make it work.

Be sure to see:

Old City (DK recommends walking on the surrounding wall, starting just to left of Jaffa Gate)

Tower of David museum (at Jaffa Gate)

Herodian Quarter / Wohl Archaelogical Museum

Hezekiah's Tunnel (off Ophel Road) (EDITED: this was awsome)

Machenah Yehuda (market; West Jerusalem)

Yad Vashem (Holocaust memorial, West Jerusalem; open late on Thursday)

Chagall Windows (West Jerusalem; Sun-Thurs 8-1 only; click for times of English tours)

Garden Tomb (East Jerusalem; closed Sundays)

Garden of Gethsmane (Jericho Road, east of city near Mount of Olives)

Chutzot Hayotzer (artists' colony)

Day 9: Dead Sea dip in late morning; Masada in afternoon (or light show)

Dead Sea (Night 9):

BOOKED: Kibbutz Ein Gedi (unstarred but positive Fodor): in Ein Gedi; 175 rooms; related with/free shuttle to Ein Gedi spa; Tripadvisor feedback is mixed

EDITED: I really think this place is the way to go.  The options on the true Dead Sea part of the Dead Sea are really, really limited (everyone seems to do it as a day trip from Jerusalem).  The accommodations were fine, the scenery gorgeous, and the food was more than fine.  We also did a tour of the kibbutz in the morning was really solidified the whole movement.

Also considered: Le Meridien (Fodor): in Ein Bokkek; 509!! rooms and 68 suites; Starwood; Tripadvisor feedback is, alas, unpromising; and Isrotel (HB rec): in Ein Bokkek; 298 rooms; unstarred by Fodors and Tripadvisor feedback makes it sound like a tour group mill...  EDITED: all these places are below the dam -- not the true river-fed Dead Sea -- and it's a pretty unattractive crowded factory mill scene.  Skip it.

Don't miss:

 Ein Gedi nature preserve; float in Dead Sea; climb Masada; Masada light show

Link to Josephus' account of Masada (read to kids)

Day 10: Stop at Ben Guvrim National Park; on to Negev

Ben Guvrim (35 miles south, little bit west of Jerusalem)

Overview: Bet Guvrin national park (ARD, Fodor rec): Underground, well-preserved Roman and Crusader ruins; can register for (expensive!) three-hour Dig for a Day (investigate times).

EDITED: Dig for a Day - priceless.  Anyone with kids, should do this.

Night 10 and 11: Negev

BOOKED:Accommodations: Kibbutz Lotan - Very nice location; looks fun and hot; TA feedback limited and mixed

Also considered: Ramon Inn (Fodors) Tripadvisor feedback mixed up because there used to be an old one in town; now is the new (linked) one overlooking the crater; and feedback includes both; and 

Desert Days Ecolodge (very little info available); where GoEco organizes mud-brick-building jaunts and which I'd love to do but they're just.too.darn.hard.to.get.ahold.of.

Be sure to see:

Mahtesh Ramon (Ramon Crater; ARD + Fodor rec)

Avdat National Park (Nabatean / Roman / early Christian ruins)

Genesis Land (Fodor; TA feedback hilariously uneven): Israeli, or maybe Australian, actors re-enact biblical scenes.  You can stay overnight in a tent just like Abraham's.  (Perhaps mercifully) short camel rides.

Day 11: Head back up to Tel Aviv, stopping in ___


 Night 12: Tel Aviv

Accommodation Options:

BOOKED: Sheraton (Fodor rec); TA feedback generally OK; 2 adjoining rooms plus 1 other-  2/2/3

Also considered: Renaissance Marriott (HB rec); TA feedback generally OK

Be sure to see:

Diaspora Museum (ARD; Fodors)

Independence Hall (ARD)

shopping & beaches (ARD)

Notes:

Polas (they actually did the mud huts in Tzukim)